skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Last weekend, Dean pulled all the old vines away from the fairy bells so hopefully, we'll be hearing them soon.
I put out the new fairy house and Gunter was THRILLED! I set it in the herb trough temporarily. Once we get the rest of the yard in order, I'll probably move it. Fairies prefer privacy and they may not like being on the patio.
Later that night, I looked out the patio door and saw a bright light.....oh my gosh! Someone was in the HOUSE! I was so excited! I grabbed my phone and took a couple photos....but the light was too bright to see anything. I could hear sounds but not SEE inside.....the light was just too bright.
I went back outside a couple of hours later and could finally see! A sweet little fairy fireplace was lit! It was so late though that I could no longer hear anything. I think everyone was asleep.
On Sunday morning, I went out to see if I could see anyone.....nope. But I did see something. This sweet little pathway to the entrance of the house...looks like someone was tidying up...
Later, I looked out the window and saw Gunter outside...
I asked what he was doing and he answered, "just hanging out visiting." But when I looked in the back window, I didn't see anyone.
I am just as happy as Gunter is that the fairies have returned, even if they are a bit shy around me.
"We the fairies, blithe and anticOf dimensions not gigantic,Though the moonshine mostly keep us,Oft in orchards frisk and peep us." -Thomas Randolph
Gunter has been cranky. This cold weather ran the fairies off and he misses them terribly. They've been gone since the beginning of January. To make matters worse, their little house was in need of repair. I had some serious work planned this spring.
But.
But I forgot to bring their house into the garage during the ice storm. and it froze...and since it had rained, it split too....and some of the tile came off. Poor little house. It was only 4 years old. It used to be so lovely too....
So, to make Gunter happy, we have started on a NEW fairy house! I've already primed it with sealant so putting it together will be a nice break from crochet.
( In case my sister's are viewing this...yes, those are CHRISTMAS gifts on the buffet in the background. I'll get to Florida eventually!)
The front is taking shape...this time I added a blue bell that fell off Leo's collar. The front portico is from a lovely wedgewood piece that broke so I kept it. The kids say I'm a hoarder....but in reality, I'm just keeping bits of this and that in order to be prepared....
if you look closely, you can see the shell "awning" over the back window.
I can go ahead and grout sometime this week, then complete the roof. And although the cold weather is still with us, I've promised Gunter that once their house is finished, it will go outside to welcome them home.
My first birdbath made from a terracotta saucer. I gave this one to my dad many years ago....
Another fish birdbath.....I love this goldfish with the big bubbles!
A table top I made for a friend...just plain old crazy paving...
She used this next to her pool one night for a party, it was awesome!
I made a table top a couple years ago but decided to use the top in the yard instead. I put the stand in the garage and stared at it every time I got in and out of my car. Finally, I decided to put it back in the yard.
After mulling over what I wanted, I sketched out this little design for the table...
then I got to work...
and ultimately created a new "top" and I have a sweet little table to put in the yard for Matt to mow around!
close up of the little bird...
I'm sure this little table will also hold a glass of wine from time to time....
Edited 8/27....so today I come online to post a new book I just read and I see my little Christian badge on the sidebar. I never even realized that I sketched something out that looked almost like it. Funny how your mind works. And here I was thinking I was being all "original" and stuff! HA!
I finished my last two stepping stones and am pleased with how they both turned out.
I love snails....just not in the garden, eating my veggies! I put this one in a place that gets high "cut through" traffic so it gets used almost daily.
This one is in an area I walk on often when watering the garden and yard. We don't have automatic sprinklers so I am constantly moving hoses on days that I water. I use these little stepping stones A LOT because they are in a bed right next to the water spigot....and I tend to go barefoot when watering the yard.
Here it is with the toadstool....
and the flowers I see every time I walk by are lovely as well...
a little closer please.......
My last planned project this summer is for a new table top which I've already drawn out. I hope to have it done for next Monday's post.
A few weeks ago, I helped some friends to learn the very basics in mosaic. I made a couple stepping stones while helping them work on their projects.
The kids love this one....I just don't know where to put it yet. The grout is actually a bright yellow but it was hard to see on such a sunny day.
this one is already in the yard being used...it is much easier to step on it than the mulch when barefoot!
I have 2 more stepping stones to finish......better get to work!
A couple of my friends wanted to learn the basics of mosaic...so they came to my house for a couple days a few weeks ago.
We were lucky that the weather was decent while we were bashing tiles. Eventually, it became too hot so we went inside to finish working on our projects.
The tiling took two days and then a few days to dry. They came back over on Friday and we grouted everything!
Both ladies made saucer type bird baths. Julie made a sunflower...
and Jeanine made a bowl of daises, with a little frog! The yellow had a glare on it...sorry about that. It was REALLY bright out!
I'll be posting what I made for my own yard next Monday.
Last week I woke up with laryngitis on Monday. The kids fell out laughing because I sounded like the chocolate lady from Sponge Bob Squarepants:
It WAS funny...but by Wednesday, it wasn't....as it turned out I had some awful virus that left me with those ulcers at the back of my throat....along with fever and fatigue.
Friday I had my dental appointment and thought my dentist would take pity on me and not do the procedure. WRONG. He just laughed and put on his gloves......yikes.
I needn't have worried, he is the BEST DENTIST EVER.
The rest of the weekend was a big blur....until today.
Today, I woke up feeling really good and worked in the yard with the family.
It was 78 degrees and we did some cleaning in the garden....prepping it for spring.
Dean and I are ruthless gardeners. We seriously don't take care of our yard in winter. If it can't survive, we won't plant it. We do that because we go out of town often enough that we don't want to have to ask neighbors to care for our plants.
Guido already needs a haircut!
Look how lovely Bun-Bun is looking, with a soft layer of moss now behind her ears.....
We planted some nasturtium, lettuce, leek and arugula seeds....as well as, tomato and basil plants. Nothing new, that is what we plant each year. But we are planting less basil because I have too much leftover in the freezer. I can always plant more mid summer if needed.
See the chicken wire?
Yep...our resident squirrels tore this little space UP last year. This year, there will be NO ACORNS planted by their deft little paws. My little blue chair was also repainted and replanted. Before long, the entire fence will be covered in morning glory vine...
I discovered some lettuce that had volunteered to grow. We have 5 plants about this size. Almost ready to harvest. I love volunteer plants!
My herb garden is quite robust and only needed a little soil added to perk it up.
Last year I lost the parsley and cilantro but this year both are doing quite well. The cilantro needs cutting back though....and the green onions need to be harvested.
I found sweet Gimley under the alyssum....he is so happy spring is around the corner.
We cleaned up Angel's wildflower garden and put out tons of wildflower seed.....she will be so happy once they all grow up around her....sorry for the dark photo....some storm clouds came up and I snapped it not realizing I needed the flash!
I even put out 2 hummingbird feeders in case some scouts are in the area.....they will be returning soon and I want them to know they are welcome.
I don't normally make mosaics in cooler weather. Typically, the urge to create them strikes as soon as warm weather starts sneaking back into my bones. But I have a couple of friends I wanted to make these for. I've wanted to make them for a long time now but something always came up.
Since time was a factor, I stuck with my favorite shape for birdbaths, the spiral. It is simple but evokes the feeling of movement...at least to me. I also used colors that birds tend to migrate to so I know once found, they will be used.
This wraps up my "make it monthly" for 2012. I haven't decided if I will do it again next year, but I am certainly pleased at how many gifts I finished.
As Christmas looms, it feels good to know that some gifts are snuggled safely in my closet, waiting to be wrapped. Some will be "add-ons" put into a bag as a little extra goodie. Some are the main event, hopefully deemed worthy as a Christmas gift all by itself. Some are for family, some are for friends and co-workers.
From my home to yours......I wish you a wonderful, stress free holiday season.
I have always loved turtles and used to bring them home regularly. My dad still has a few in the backyard that he feds each week. Considering my age, they must be around 40 + years old now.
We don't have any turtles in our current yard because I think Ginger would harass them. Instead, I move them out of the road to help them on their way.
I made my neighbor a stepping stone because he has a huge garden and could really use one...or more.
I needed to use up a bunch of swimming pool tiles someone gave me and plopped a little turtle down in the middle of it to break up all the blue.
I just kept it simple and whimsical since it will actually be used.
Have a wonderful week!
The last couple of weekends, we've been working in our front yard.
Everything we planted 5 years ago has overgrown the space we put them in and it was time to divide things and rearrange our plantings in general.
So far, it looks really good but has left me little time or energy for any crafting or posting.
When I was rummaging around for garden stuff, I decided that Frank and Rosie Potter had lived on a shelf way too long and put them out on the fence with Guido. I made them several years ago when I was still doing art/craft shows. (click on the photo to enlarge for better viewing)
Happily, squirrels don't eat monkey grass so my little trio is safe from being scalped.
The squirrels keep eating Guido's hair. Horrible. And with a name like Guido, you think he could defend himself.
Instead, he just sits on the fence and puts up with it. What is worse is that the squirrels actually sit on his head in order to eat his hair!I decided to help him out so I got some asparagus fern with those ouchy little thorns. Those furry little critters are going to get a surprise when they try to snack on THIS new 'do!
The best part is that I think he looks rather spiffy.
This is my last Mosaic Monday for the year.....just a couple more potter people.
I loved the teeny mouths on them both!
